• AGRIOS: Harald Weis
• ALS: Stefan Pircher
• Bioland: Toni Riegler, Reinhard Verdorfer
• Fruttunion: Martin Siller
• Landw.assessorat: Peter Möltner
• Plenum: Alfred Strigl, Sylvia Brenzel
• SAK: Anna Oberkofler, Claudia Klammsteiner
• SBB: Ulrich Höllrigl, Siegfried Rinner
• SBR: Manuel Santer, Robert Wiedmer
• SOV: Georg Theiner
• succus.: Michael Mühlberger
• VOG: Georg Kössler, Walter Pardatscher
• VIP: Thomas Oberhofer, Martin Pinzger
• VZ Laimburg: Michael Oberhuber, Walter Guerra

Four one-day workshops were held between autumn 2019 and spring 2020 under the expert guidance of Alfred Strigl and Sylvia Brenzel, both from the Plenum consulting agency. A number of bilateral and multilateral coordination meetings were also held during this period with a focus on the most widely-discussed topics and hotspots. The process kicked off with the identification and prioritisation of topics, followed by the establishment of a suitable system and corresponding packages of measures. All participants then reviewed the strategy, making minor linguistic adjustments and adding the finishing touches. While the Covid-19 pandemic made this collaboration more difficult, not least with in-person meetings being reduced to the necessary minimum, this failed to dampen our drive and motivation during virtual meetings. We are well aware of the challenge we have set ourselves with this ambitious programme featuring ten large packages of measures. And we know that our success will depend on year after year of hard work, effort and commitment. The consortium is already planning and structuring the next five years of operations in coordination with the sustainapple strategy. However, we do not have to do all this alone: our partners have been included in the process from the beginning as important contributors. With various partner organisations sharing responsibility for successful implementation in no fewer than five of the ten packages of measures, this forms a key hallmark of our modern and adaptive  strategy. We must all now be prepared to make an active and dedicated contribution. Since the beginning of the implementation phase is the perfect time to use the momentum, motivation and interaction from the development phase, we want to spend the first year tackling no fewer than four of the ten action areas and reaching our initial milestones. We know that our future and that of our children rests in the hands of the current generation – and our sustainapple sustainability programme represents the way forward. Let’s get started!

We have distilled our mission for the coming years into nine concise objectives: the ABCs of sustainability. The three overarching action areas are ‘The South Tyrolean Apple as a global success model’, ‘We promote healthy eating’ and ‘In partnership with nature’. In all three areas, we have compiled three objectives and corresponding packages of specific measures that provide an effective demonstration of how sustainability benefits people and nature. This also represents our contribution to meeting the global Sustainable Development Goals. As a modern and innovative sustainability strategy, sustainapple is supported, maintained and enhanced by a wide variety of institutions. Far from being the preserve of a single company, the sustainable development strategy of the South Tyrolean apple sector is powered by a great many firms, organisations and people who have defined a set of shared goals and measures. Each of them makes a valuable contribution within the scope of their capabilities and activities. After all, the only way to develop a forward-looking and sustainable fruit sector is by working together. We would like to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt thanks to all participants who have been actively involved in the development of this strategy since 2016. A full list of participating individuals and institutions is provided at the end of this brochure. We also want to say a big thank you in advance to all those who will be helping us implement the planned activities within the South Tyrolean apple sector. Together, we will make our region even more pleasant – and our future all the more liveable.

“We are resolved to free the human race from the tyranny of poverty and want and to heal and secure our planet. We are determined to take the bold and transformative steps, which are urgently needed to shift the world onto a sustainable and resilient path. As we embark on this collective journey, we pledge that no one will be left behind.”

PREAMBLE TO THE UN’S 2030 AGENDA

The universal 2030 Agenda seeks to realise the human rights of all while ensuring greater fairness, justice and empowerment for women and minorities. In its 2030 Agenda, the UN has defined 17 global sustainability objectives known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The action areas of our sustainapple strategy have been drafted to feature significant overlap with the 17 SDGs: